Article shaping or forming machines

ABSTRACT

A MACHINE FOR HOT OR COLD FORGING OF A WORKPIECE OR FOR COMPACTING METAL POWDER IN A DIE INTO A SOLID WORKPIECE HAS A SUPPORT AND AT LEAST ONE TOOL RECIPROCATABLE TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE SUPPORT, A FIRST LINK IS PIVOTALLY SECURED AT ONE END TO THE TOOL AND IS PIVOTALLY JOINTED AT THE OTHER END TO ONE END OF A SECOND LINK, THE SECOND LINK BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED AT ITS OTHER END TO ANCHOR MEANS WHICH CAN BE DISPLACED TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE SUPPORT. THE PIVOT JOINT IS RECIPROCATED THROUGH A POSI-   TION IN WHICH THE LINKS ARE IN LINE BETWEEN POSITIONS IN WHICH THE LINKS ARE INCLUDED TO ONE ANOTHER. THE PIVOT JOINT MAY BE RECIPROCATED BY MEANS OF A DOUBLE-ACTING FLUID OPERATED PISTON AND CYLINDER DEVICE. A PLURALITY OF SIMILAR PIVOT JOINTS MAY BE OPERATED SIMULTANEOUSLY AND IN SYNCHRONISM BY CONNECTING ALL THE PIVOT JOINTS TO AN ANNULAR RING WHICH IS RECIPROCATED ABOUT ITS AXIS.

av. 16, 1971 K. ROSS 3,620,667

ARTICLE SHAPING OR FORMING MACHINES Filed Sept. 17, 1969 United States Patent 3,620,067 ARTICLE SHAPING 0R FORMING MACHINES Keith Ross, Sheffield, England, assignor to Davy and United Engineering Company Limited, Sheffield, Eng- US. Cl. 72-407 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for hot or cold forging of a workpiece or for compacting metal powder in a die into a solid Workpiece has a support and at least one tool reciprocatable towards and away from the support, a first link is pivotally secured at one end to the tool and is pivotally jointed at the other end to one end of a second link, the second link being pivotally secured at its other end to anchor means which can be displaced towards and away from the support. The pivot joint is reciprocated through a position in which the links are in line between positions in which the links are inclined to one another. The pivot joint may be reciprocated by means of a double-acting fluid operated piston and cylinder device. A plurality of similar pivot joints may be operated simultaneously and in synchronism by connecting all the pivot joints to an annular ring which is reciprocated about its axis.

This invention relates to a machine for shaping a workpiece. The shaping of the workpiece may consist of hot or cold forging or it may consist of compacting metal powder in a die into a solid workpiece. The machine may have more than one tool which are urged together into engagement with the workpiece.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a machine for shaping a workpiece comprises at least one tool reciprocata ble towards and away from a support for a workpiece, a first link pivotally secured at one end to the tool and pivotally jointed at the other end to one end of a second link, said second link being pivotally secured at its other end to anchor means which is displaceable towards and away from the support in a direction substantially parallel with the direction of movement of the tool and means for reciprocating the pivot joint through a position in which the links are in line between first and second positions in which the links are inclined to one another.

The or each pivot joint may be reciprocated by means of a double-acting fluid operated piston and cylinder device. Each time the pivot joint passes through the position 1n which the links are in line the distance between the tool and the support for the workpiece is a minimum and when a workpiece is positioned on the support it can be arranged for the tool to impact the workpiece. After each impact of the tool with the workpiece the tool is moved away from the workpiece and the anchor means can be displaced towards the support so that the next time the prvot joint passes through the position in which the linkages are in line a further impact of the tool against the workpiece is obtained.

For many applications it is desirable that a plurality of tools are "operated simultaneously and when more than one tool is provided it is necessary to ensure that the tools are operated in synchronism.

According to a second aspect of the present invention a machine for shaping a workpiece comprises a plurality of tools arranged about a common pass-line of the machine and each reciprocatable towards and away from the pass-line, each tool being pivotally secured to one end of a first link the other end of which is pivotally jointed to one end of a second link, the other end of the second link being pivotally secured to anchor means displaceable towards and away from the pass-line in a direction substantially parallel with the direction of movement of the tool with which it is associated and means for reciprocating the pivot joints together through a position in which the links of each pair are in line between first and second positions in which the links of each pair are inclined to one another.

To ensure synchronous operation of all the tools it is convenient for all the pivot joints to be engaged by an annular ring which is reciprocatable about its axis to cause the pivot joints to reciprocate between the first and second positions.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood it will now be described, by Way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 represents schematically an embodiment of the invention employing a single reciprocatable tool, and

FIG. 2 represents schematically an embodiment of the invention in which a plurality of tools are provided and the tools are operated in synchronism.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a machine for shaping a workpiece comprises a support 10 for a workpiece and a forging tool 11. The tool 11 is mounted in guides 12 which permit the tool to reciprocate towards and away from the support 10. The means for displacing the tool 11 comprises first and second links 14 and 15. The links are pivotally jointed together at their adjacent ends as indicated by reference numeral 16, while the other end of link 15 is pivotally secured to the tool 11. The other end of the link 14 is pivotally secured to an anchor member 19 which is displaceable towards and away from the support 10. A double-acting hydraulic piston and cylinder device 20 is connected to the pivot joint 16. The link 14 is pivoted to the anchor means 19 by a connection 18 which is positioned on a vertical line extending through the longitudinal axis of the tool 11 so that the maximum force is applied by the tool to a workpiece on the support 10 when the links are in line.

In operation a workpiece 22 is positioned on the support 10 and the piston and cylinder device 20 is energised to cause the pivot joint 16 to be displaced from the position shown in FIG. 1 where the links 14 and 15 are inclined to one another along the path BD where the links are in line and those along the path DE to the position where the links are inclined to one another. In this way the tool 11 is urged into contact with the workpiece and then lifted from the workpiece. On the return stroke of the piston and cylinder device the pivoted joint 16 moves along the path EDB. It can be seen that rapid stroking is possible since the piston and cylinder device 20 makes a working stroke in each direction. After the first working stroke the workpiece may be rotated so that the tool 11 engages at a different surface on the return stroke or if the workpiece is not rotated the anchor means may be displaced slightly towards the support 10 :so that over-sequeezing of the workpiece is brought about on the return stroke. For large displacement of the anchor means 19 it may be necessary to adjust the position of the piston and cylinder device 20 in a direction corresponding to the adjustment made to the. anchor means 19.

In a further embodiment of the invention the support 10 comprises a further displaceable tool having further links and a piston and cylinder device similar to those associated with tool 11. The two piston and cylinder devices are then operated in synchronism.

FIG. 2 illustrates a machine having two separate displaceable work tools. Each of the tools 11 has a linkage 13 associated therewith which is similar to that shown in FIG. 1 and the pivoted joints 16 are acted upon by a single annular ring 25 guided to move around its centre. The pivoted joints are mounted on separate blocks which are slideable radially in openings in the ring. A radially extending arm 26 projects from the ring 25 and a piston rod 27 of a fluid operated double-acting piston and cylinder device 28 is attached to the arm 26. The cylinder of the device is pivotally secured to an anchor plate 29.

In operation, the piston and cylinder device 28 is actuated causing reciprocal rotary movement of the ring 25 which in turn causes the pivoted joints to reciprocate along an arcuate path BDE causing the forging tools 11 to apply a force to the workpiece 22 each time the links 14 and 15 of each tool are in line. The anchor means 19 are displaceable towards the workpiece 22 and if desired they may be pre-loaded so that if the load on the forging tool 11 exceeds a pre-set value then the anchor means are displaced outwardly to relieve the load.

If desired a plurality of rings 25 with their associated linkages and forging tools may be arranged in tandem thereby enabling a workpiece to be reduced in several stages during a single pass through the machine.

Multi-directional shaping machines in accordance with the present invention will be cheaper to construct than known machines which have complicated hydraulic systems and control systems to achieve synchronism between the forging tools.

Although hydraulic piston and cylinder devices have been described for displacing the pivot joint through the position in which the links are in line, other means, such as eccentrics, and levers could be employed.

I claim:

1. A machine for shaping a workpiece. comprising a plurality of tools arranged around a common passline of the machine and each reciprocatable towards and away from the pass-line,

a plurality of pairs of links, one pair associated with each tool,

anchor means,

an annular ring reciprocatable about its axis,

the links of each pair being connected together by a pivotable joint which is connected to said ring, one end of one. link of each pair being pivotably connected to a tool and the other end of the other link of each pair being pivotably connected to said anchor means, and

drive means connected to said rign to bring about reciprocation thereof to reciprocate the pivotable joints through a position in which the links of each pair are in line and between first and second positions in which the links of each pair are inclined to one another.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which each pivotable joint is mounted in a separate block slideable in the ring.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the annular ring has an arm projecting radially outwards therefrom and a double-acting fluid operated piston and cylinder device applied to the arm constitutes said drive means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10,410 1/1854 Lester 72451 684,216 10/ 1901 Gardner 72402 1,232,050 7/1917 Kraemer 72416 1,239,862 9/1917 Baird 72453 1,841,920 1/1932 Smith 72407 2,408,379 10/1946 Day 72453 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner G. P. CROSBY, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

